Looks like Celadine or Thornton Lemon. If is smells waxy, citrusy it is the former and if sweet it is probably the latter. Why are you cutting it? Three feet is not very tall in plumie land. If you cut it in March about 18 inches from the ground, it will start growing new branches but they will most likely not flower that season. The top half you can let harden for a week and then plant as usual and it may or may not flower that season if it roots quickly (5-10 weeks). If you wait a year, you should have 2-3 branches grown 16 inches or more. If you cut half of these 6-8 inches above the split, the uncut branch will grow and flower while the cut ones grow new branches. The following year cut the other branch that was not cut before and leave the others to flower. You can rotate in this pattern and usually have flowers each year while keeping the plant at certain size. If you cut now, you may not be able to root the top part before it goes dormant or gets too cool to root. Bill

Thank you for the info! It has taken so very long to get to the point of flowering - even to the point where I had managed to grow a single leaf - that I never researched what to do with the plant as it matured.

It seems to beg to be cut since it lacks leaves except at the very top, and needs to be supported lest it bend over. It really does look like a palm tree. I suppose I need to look at pics of plants to learn what they ought to look like. Since this is a container plant I can't let it get but so big in this climate.

In previous winters I could set it on a tabletop under the lighting but now I have to find a place on the floor for it.

Your suggestions sound good to me - I'll leave things be for now and make plans for very early spring.

Thanks!

Hi Plante,
It looks just like it should. Most plumeria lose their leaves each year and only regrow new ones from the tips.
Thats a characteristic of plummies, leaves at the tips.
During their dormant "phase" they dont require light. You can actually put them in a closet, unlit basement or garage. As long as it stays warm, all is well. Once they lose their leaves they dont require water either.
Hope this helps!
Randy in Savannah

Your long time to get to where it is probably has more to do with fertilizing, sun and soil mix. Once a plant begins flowering, it usually will flower every year thereafter. Usually means most but you can have that one that interrupts for a year often due to some form of shock (frost, soil change, unusual weather patterns, etc.) I also notice that the plants older than 6 years are very consistant although they may flower less than usual (my larger, older plants damaged in the big freeze of 07 flowered less in 08). Search posts on fertilizing and soil mixes and check your set-up. I recently had a friend of my wife ask me to look at a plant she had for years that was about 20" tall and looking frail. I repotted it in better soil, fertilized it and gave it additives (sulphur, magnesium, microfungi, etc.) In two months it grew double in height with large leaves and many flowers. She thought I gave her the wrong plant back. The plant was malnourished and living in a poor environment.